Refrigerating apparatus



- March 13, 1934. GRlER 1,950,551

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 30, 1930 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 13,1934. J. A. GRIER REFRIGERATING APFARATUS Filed Dec. 30, 1930 6Sheets-Sheet 2 N TOR ATfi'ORNELfi March 13, 1934. J. A. GRIER 1,950,551

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 50, 1930 e Sheets-Sheet a Z ATTORNEY7V4 March 13, 1934.

J. A. GRIER REFRIGERATING APPARATUS e Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 30, 1930ATTORNEYS March 13, 1934. J, A, GRIER v REFRIGERA-TING APPARATUS FiledDec. 50, 1930 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 March 13, 1934. J. A. GRIER REFRIGERATINGAPPARATUS 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Dec.

ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 13, 1934 UNI ED STATES REFRIGERATING APPARATUSJohn A. Grier, New York, N. Y., assignor to Frigidaire Corporation,Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application December 30, 1930,Serial No. 505,494

4 Claims. (Cl. 62-115) This invention relates to refrigerating apparatusand more particularly to improved structural features in the refrigerantliquefying portion of the apparatus.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improvedrefrigerating system having improved means for compressing and coolingthe refrigerant.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved refrigerantcompressor.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved condenser andcooling system of a novel type.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a combinedcondenser and inter-cooler for a domestic refrigerator.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearlyshown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a portion of a refrigerator incorporatingone embodiment of the 25 invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view 'of the sealed unit shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of the compressor shown inFig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 2; 5

Fig. 5.is a top view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 with the coverremoved;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view through a portion of the sealed unit showinga modified form of compressor and connecting passages;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a top view of a modified form of the o invention with themotor, cooling fan, and cowling removed;

Fig. 9 is a section alongthe lines 9- 9 of Fig. 7; and .Fig. 10 is asection along the lines 10-10 of 45 Fig. I

Referring to the drawings and more particularly to Fig. 1, there isshown a refrigerator cabinet 20 having a slidable removable top portion21 upon which a sealed motor compressor unit 22 50 is supported byrubber mountings 23. The compressed refrigerant is discharged from thesealed unit directly into the condenser 24 which is connected to the,lower housing 25 of the sealed unit 22 by a flanged coupling 26. Thecondenser, better shown in Fig. 5, consists of a plurality of setpentineloops 27 which are provided with a plurality of cross this 2 8. Thecondenser'is set in an inclined position, the lowest end being connectedby the coupling 33 directly to the expansion valve 30 which is supportedupon the removable top portion 21 of the cabinet 20 by a bracket 31. Thecondenser is supported in an inclined position by the supporting member32v and the couplings 26 and. 33.

A bracket 34 surrounds the upper housing 35 of the sealed unit and isclamped thereto by nut and bolt 36. vThe bracket 34 supports the fan.motor 37 and the cooling fan 38 directly above the condenser 24. Thecowling 40 surrounds the fan 38 and directs the stream of air from thefan downwardly upon the condenser 24 to cool and liquefy the refrigerantwhich then flows by gravity to theexpansion valve 30 because of theinclined position of the condenser. The refrigerant passing through theexpansion valve 30 is conducted downwardly through the removable portion21 of the cabinet 20 into the cooling unit 41 by a conduit 42. Thecooling unit 41 is provided with brine or some other suitable thermalconducting medium and has a plurality of refrigerant coils 43 thereinwhich are connected to the conduit 42 for cooling the brine. These coilssurround the recess 44 in the cooling unit 41 which is provided forfreezing water or other liquid within the ice trays 45 supported onshelves, 46 within the recess 44. The refrigerant in passing through thecoils 43 to the brine absorbs heat therefrom and is conducted upwardlyby the con duit 4'1 to a passage in the sealed unit 22.

The sealed unit 22 is provided with a lower housing 25 and an upperhousing 01 cover 35.

The lower housing has in general the shape. of a cup and'is providednear its lower edges with a pluralityof ears 48 which support the sealedunit upon the rubber mountings 23. The lower housing 25 (see Figs. 2, 3and 4) has at its upper end anouter flange 51 for supporting the upperhousing 35 andan inner flange 52 which supports the plate member .53which in turn supports the compressor 60 beneath it and an elec-" tricmotor '70 upon supports '71 extending upwardly from the plate member 53.Supported by the motor supports 71 isthe stator portion 120 of the'motor'70 while the armature or rotating portion 121 of the motor '70 is fixedupon the shaft 72 for driving the compressor 60. The upper portion 35 ofthe housing acts as a cover for the motor and has a flange 123surrounding its skirt which is fastened to the flange 51 of the lowerhousing 25 by the cap screws 124. A suitable seal-.

ing means 125 is provided in the flange 123 and 51 for preventing theescape of refrigerant and lubricant from the sealed unit. At the side ofthe housing 25 is a vertical cored passage 54 which is connected to theconduit 47 at the discharge end of the cooling coil 43. This passage 54contains a filter screen 55 for removing the solid particles which maybe in the refrigerant coming from the cooling unit 41. The cored passage54 connects at its upper end with the cored passages 56 and 57 in theplate member 53 which conduct the gaseous refrigerant from the passage54 to the cylinders 61 and 62' of the compressor 60. a

. The compressor is of the opposed-twocylinder, single stage, sleevevalve type and is driven by the vertical driving shaft 72. The drivingshaft 72 is provided with an eccentric 64 see Fig. 3) which issurrounded by a bearing member 65 which is provided with integral shoes66 and 67 which slide on opposite walls of the rectangular yoke member68. Integral with the yoke member 68, and extending from either sidetherefrom are a pair of pistons and 91 which reciprocate within sleeves92- and 93 which in turn reciprocate within cylinders 61 and 62 of thecompressor 60. The sleeves 92 and 93 (see Fig. 2) are provided withsuitable intake ports 94 and 95 which register at proper times withintake ports 96 and 97 in the upper part of the walls of the cylinders61 and 62. These ports 96 and 97 connect with the passages 56 and 57 inthe plate member 53. Substantially diametrically opposite to the intakeports are the exhaust ports 98 and 99 which are provided in the sleeves92 and 93 and which provide access to the exhaust ports 101 and 102 inthe lower portion of the walls of the cylinders 61 and 62. The sleeves92 and 93 are reciprocated by a separate eccentric 103 which is of sucha size and suitably positioned with respect to the eccentric 64 so thatthe intake and exhaust ports of the sleeves and the cylinder wallsregister a proper time with reference to the location and movement ofthe pistons. This eccentric 103 is keyed to the shaft 72 and preferablyleads the piston eccentric 64 by an angle of approximately 234. Thecylinders 61 and 62 are provided with cylinder heads 104 and 105 whichcontain relief valves 106 and 107 which are normally held in a closedposition by coil springs 108 and 109which are held pressed against avalve head by the valve covers 110 and 111, which along with thecylinder heads 104 and 105, are fastened to the cylinders 61 and 62 bycap screws 112.

The shaft 72 which drives the compressor 60 rotates within a largebearing 73 which is provided in a large boss 74 projecting from theplate member 53. The boss 74 supports a ball thrust bearing 75 at itsupper end which carries the weight of the shaft 72 and members attachedthereto. The upper end of the shaft 72 is supported within a bearing 76which is provided in the bearing member 77 fastened by cap screws 78 tothe top of the motor supports 71. The shaft 72 is drilled to provide anoil passage 79 which is provided with oil by the oil scoop 122 whichrotates within the oil which collects in the lower portion of thehousing 25. The shaft 72 is provided with suitable drilled passagesconnecting with the longitudinal oil passage 79 for supplying thebearings and the eccentric with lubricating oil. A thermostat 126 isprovided which projects through the removable portion 21 of the cabinetand has its lower end projecting into the brine within the cooling unit41. Thermostat 126 controls the starting and the stopping of the.motor70 and preferably also the motor 37 in accordance with the temperatureof the brine within the cooling unit 41. When the thermostat 126 causesthe motor to operate, the compressor 60 draws gaseous refrigerant up theconduit 47 through the passage 54 in the housing 25, through thepassages 56 and 57 in the plate 53, through the ports 96, 97, 94 and 95into the cylinders of the compressor which discharge. the compressed gasthrough the ports 98, 99, 1 01 and 102 into the chamber within thehousing 25. The compressed gas then flows from the housing 25 into thecondenser 24 where it is liquefied and flowsthrough the expansion valve30, expands and absorbs heat within the coils 43 of the cooling unit 41to cool the food storage compartment 19 of the cabinet 20 and to freezeliquids within the ice trays 45. When the brine within the cooling unit41 has become sufficiently cool the thermostat 126 causes the motors 70and 37 to stop. The apparatus positioned on top of the cabinet 20 isprovided with a cover 18 having louvers at either side for admitting anddischarging air.

In Figs. 6 to 10 inclusive is shown the apparatus as modified for anopposed two cylinder, two stage, sleeve valve compressor with aninter-cooler. In Fig. 6 there is shown a housing 131, similar to thehousing 25, having a vertical cored passage 132 in the wall thereof forconducting refrigerant from the cooling unit to the plate member 133-which is somewhat similar to the plate member 53 and which has motorsupports 134 extending upwardly therefrom and a'boss 135 which providesthe main bearing 136 for the vertical shaft 137, similar to the shaft72, which drives the compressor. The upper housing or cover 138 issimilar to the upper housing 35 of the first mentioned embodiment.

As shown in Fig. 7 the compressor 140 is provided with flanges 141 and142 and fastened to the plate member 133 by the cap screws 143. Thecompressor 140 is provided with a large low pressure cylinder 144 and asmaller high pressure cylinder 145. The compressor is driven by thevertical shaft 137 which has an eccentric 146 keyed thereon which issurrounded by a bearing member 147 which slides transversely ina yoke148 to reciprocate the low pressure piston 149 which is connected on oneside of the yoke and the high pressure piston 150 which is connected tothe opposite side of the yoke. The pistons 149 and 150, reciprocatewithin sleeves 151 and 152 which are reciprocated by the sleeveeccentric 153 which operates within bearing member 154 which is providedwith shoes on opposite sides and bears against opposite sides'of therectangular yoke 155 which is connected to the sleeves 151 and 152 bythe cap screws 156 and 157. The low pressure cylinder 144 is providedwith a port 160 on its upper side which connects with the passage 161(see Fig. 8) in the plate member 133 which in turn connects to thevertical passage 132 in the housing 131. The sleeve 151 is provided withan intake port 164 (see Fig. 10) which at suitable times registers with.intake port 160 to draw refrigerant into the low pressure cylinders 144.An exhaust port 162 is provided in the sleeve 151 for discharging ,atsuitable times refrigerant from the low pressure cylinder into theexhaust port 163 which connects with the refrigerant passage 165 in theplate member 133 which passage leads to the passage 166 connecting withthe intercooler.

Similarly to the condenser in the first described embodiment thecombined inter-cooler and condenser is positioned at the side of thesealed unit and consists of a plurality of serpentine loops 171 for theinter-cooler and a plurality of serpentine loops 172 for the condenser.These are held together in a single plane by a plurality of cross fins173 forming a flat unit which is inclined toward the expansion valve174.

I A boss is provided on the lower housing 131 of the sealed unit towhich the flanged coupling 175 at the inlet end of .the inter-cooler isconnected. The discharge end of the'inter-cooler is connected by a longconduit 1'76 and a similar flanged coupling 177 to a second boss 178containing a passage 179 which connects with the passage 181 in theplate member 133 which passage leads to the high pressure cylinder 145of the compressor 140. The passage 181 connects with the inlet port 182(see Fig. 9) of the high pressure cylinder 145. An inlet port 183 isprovided in the sleeve 152 of the high pressure cylinder which registersat suitable times with the port 182 to admit refrigerant from theinter-cooler in'o the high pressure cylinder. An exhaust port 184 (seeFig. 9) is provided in the sleeve 152 for registering with an exhaustport 185 in the walls of the high pressure cylinder 145 from whichcompressed refrigerant is discharged into the interior of the lowerhousing 131. Relief valves and 191 are provided in the low pressure head192 and the high pressure head 193 for relieving excessive pressurewhich may occur at times within the low and high pressure cylinderbecause of unusual conditions. The compressed refrigerant within thelower housing 132 is discharged through the passage 195 in the boss 196to which the flanged coupling 197 at the inlet end of the condenser isconnected. The discharge end of the a condenser is connected by thecoupling 198 to the expansion valve 174 where the liquefied refrigerantexpands and is conducted to the cooling unit as in the first describedembodiment.

By compressing the refrigerant first in the low is pressure cylinder andthen cooling such compressed refrigerant in the inter-cooler before itenters into the high pressure cylinder, the efficiency of the compressorand the refrigerating system in general is increased. The use of thesingle sleevevalve provides an improved compressor having a highefliciency and long life.

While the form of embodiment of the present invention as hereindisclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood thatother forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claimswhich follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a motor driventwo-stage compressor, a flat inclined condenser connected to thedischarge part of the high pressure stage of the compressor, aninter-cooler integral with the condenser for the compressor, and acooling fan mounted above the combined condenser and inter-cooler forproviding air circulation.

2. In refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a motor driventwo-stage compressor mounted in a sealed housing, a combined condenserand inter-cooler mounted at the side of the compressor housing, and anindividual motor driven cooling fan mounted above the combined condenserand in'er-cooler for providing air circulation.

3. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a motordriven, two-stagecompressor mounted in a sealed housing, a combined condenser andinter-cooler mounted adjacent the sealed housing and operativelyconnected thereto, and fan means for circulating air over the surfacesof the combined condenser and intercooler for removing heat therefrom.

4. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a motor driven compressing meanshaving a plurality of stages, a combined intercooler and condenseroperatively connected to the compressor, an evaporating meansoperatively connected to the 115 condenser and compressor, and fan meansfor circulating air over the surfaces of the combined intercooler andcondenser for removing heat therefrom.

JOHN A. GRIER. we

